Christmas Archives - Page 8 of 17

Guest Post: Lemon Ginger Biscotti from Tanya at Lemons for Lulu

December 20, 2012 Leave a Comment

Today I’m pleased to present another Christmas treat guest post. This one is from Tanya at Lemons for Lulu, and she will be sharing her scrumptious looking Lemon Ginger Biscotti! Everyone please welcome Tanya!

I’m so excited to be here today! Thank you Jerri for having me. My name is Tanya and I blog over at Lemons for Lulu. I’ve been blogging since March. I started out sharing all sort of recipes, but realized my true passion is dessert! The truth is, I can’t live without my sweets! Here’s one of my latest creations. Lemon Ginger Biscotti.

I love gingerbread! Ginger is one of my favorite flavors, it is the quintessential spice of Christmas! I find it pairs beautifully with lemon. The smell of these biscotti baking in the oven was absolutely amazing! It was warm, cozy and mouth-watering!

Biscotti is an easy cookie to make, but it does take a little time, as it is twice baked. I love giving biscotti as gifts this time of year! I hope you enjoy this lemon ginger biscotti as much as I did! Happy Holidays!

Lemon Ginger Biscotti

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons ground ginger

2/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon cloves

1 whole, large lemon, zested

2 eggs

3 tablespoons molasses

2 1/2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 tablespoon crystallized ginger, chopped (adjust amount to taste)

1/2 lb white chocolate, melted

Preheat oven to 350. Combine butter, sugar, brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in a large bowl. Beat on medium speed until blended. Add in eggs and molasses, mixing well. Blend in lemon zest. With mixer on low, carefully add in flour and baking powder beating until well blended and dough starts to come together. Mix in crystallized ginger.

Shape dough into a long log, (the length of your baking sheet, or divide into two logs) onto a lightly greased baking sheet. Flatten slightly. Bake for 20-23 minutes or until golden brown and slightly cracked. Remove from oven and let stand on baking sheet for 15 minutes.

Reduce oven to 325. With a serrated knife, slice log into 1/2 inch slices and place on baking sheet, cut side down. Bake for an additional 9 minutes. Turn cookies over and bake another 5 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Melt chocolate in microwave. Drizzle chocolate over cookies. Let cookies stand so that chocolate can set. Store in an air tight container.

Thanks so much for being here today Tanya! Everyone be sure to visit Tanya’s blog Lemons for Lulu.

I’m linking up at Tidy Mom and these parties.

Filed Under: Christmas, cookies and candy, desserts

Febreze Holiday Collection Review with Giveaway

December 18, 2012 24 Comments

After the tree is trimmed, the halls are decked, and Christmas dinner cooked, we all like to do our last minute clean ups and touch ups around the house before the guests arrive. Febreze makes it easy for you to freshen your home with the Febreze Holiday Collection.

There are six great holiday scents available:

Apple Spice & Delight: The warming scent of fresh-baked apples coated with sweet cinnamon (available only online)
Cozy Vanilla Sugar: Sweet as notes of vanilla that comfort you like a cocoon of blankets
Cranberries and Frost: Rich as ripe cranberries and frost on a white winter’s day
Glistening Alpine: As soothing as a tree-lined mountainside glistening with the scent of pine
Winter Magic & Glow: Crisp as sunshine-lit icicles in fresh, frosty air
Holiday Bloom & Cheer: As cheerful as a chorus of holiday aromas blended with winter blossoms

The Febreze Holiday Collection is available in the form of candles, spray, air freshener, car vent clips, fabric refresher spray, and Noticeables scented oil.

I received a review pack of the Cozy Vanilla Sugar. My favorite product is the Noticeables scented oil. Like other Noticeables products, it is dual scented. The two scents are Cozy Vanilla and Vanilla Bean. Both of these are very sweet smelling. They fill the room with a lovely fragrance without being overwhelming, and since I started using the product I’ve gotten compliments on how nice it smells in the house.

I also received Febreze spray in the Cozy Vanilla Sugar. It smells very nice, and I think it’s a great product to spray just before company comes over.

And I also received a candle. I don’t burn candles a lot, because of the cats, but I do like to set them out. Right now I’ve got the Cozy Vanilla Sugar candle on a sidetable right by my front door, so you get a slight hint of vanilla right when you walk in, which is very nice.

I’m really enjoying these products, and I think they’d be of great use to you this holiday season!

You can shop for the Febreze Holiday Collection in stores or online at Walmart.com, where you’ll also find decorating tips from design expert Candice Olson.

And you also connect with Febreze on Facebook and Twitter.

Giveaway: One Simply Sweet Home reader will win a $10 Febreze Coupon Booklet and a $15 Visa Gift Card.

To enter, please use the Rafflecopter form below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: The information, review products, and prize pack have been provided by Febreze. All opinions are my own.

Filed Under: Christmas, cleaning, decorating Tagged With: air freshener, Febreze

Chocolate Dipped Oreos

December 17, 2012 4 Comments

As Christmas time draws near, we’ll all be making our goodies to carry over the river and through the woods. I always like to have a few ideas that can be thrown together at the last minute. Here’s an extra simple one: Chocolate Dipped Oreos! And if you’ve got a little extra time on your hands, this is a great one to do with kids. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Christmas, cookies and candy Tagged With: chocolate

Guest Post: Caramel Apple Cider from Melissa at Melissa’s Cuisine

December 13, 2012 2 Comments

Today I am pleased to welcome another guest blogger! Melissa from Melissa’s Cuisine will be sharing her Caramel Apple Cider! Doesn’t that sound delicious? Everyone please say hi to Melissa! [Read more…]

Filed Under: Christmas, drinks, recipes

Guest Post: S’mores Bark from Kassi at Truly Lovely

December 11, 2012 Leave a Comment

I’m excited to present another fun Christmas Treats guest post today! This one is from my sweet friend Kassi from Truly Lovely, and she is sharing a yummy holiday take on a campfire favorite: S’mores Bark! [Read more…]

Filed Under: Christmas, cookies and candy, Guest Post, recipes Tagged With: chocolate

Hershey’s Holiday Candy Review and Giveaway

December 8, 2012 19 Comments

For me the Christmas season just wouldn’t be the same without the candy and especially the chocolate! I always enjoying perusing the store shelves for all the holiday candies. Today I’m taking a special look at Hershey’s Holiday Candy, and I’m giving you a chance to win some candy for yourself! Yay! [Read more…]

Filed Under: Christmas, Giveaways, product review Tagged With: chocolate

Guest Post: Hot Chocolate Floats from Keri at Shaken Together

December 6, 2012 10 Comments

Today we have another fun guest post! This one is from Keri at shaken together, and she’s made us a yummy treat: Hot Chocolate Floats. Take it away Keri!

Hi there, Simply Sweet Home friends! My name is Keri and I blog over at shaken together!!

It’s my home away from home where I share recipes, easy crafts/DIY projects, giveaways, a weekly link party and snippets of our life with 12 years of marriage and counting, two kids and two cats … you know, our life, shaken together! I would love to connect with you at my blog, on Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest!

Today, I am so excited that Jerri invited me to share one of our family’s favorite holiday treats …

There is nothing better than a rich mug of hot chocolate on a cold night, right?! Well, unless it is topped with a scoop of ice cream, sprinkles and maybe a drizzle of hot fudge!

Whip up a batch of hot chocolate – you can use instant mix, I won’t judge – but there are tons of easy recipes for homemade hot chocolate that will probably rock your socks off 🙂 I am dying to try this hot chocolate mix from Something Swanky!

Anyway, gather your mugs and fill about 2/3 full with your hot chocolate. Add a scoop of ice cream (we used peppermint!) and sprinkle on your favorite toppings. I added a drizzle of warm hot fudge and festive holiday sprinkles!

This is seriously the best of both worlds … an ice cream sundae and a sweet steamy mug of hot chocolate!!

Jerri, thanks so much for the opportunity to share this sweet treat with your readers! Hope to see you all again soon! And happy, happy holidays!

Thanks again to Keri for posting here today!

I’m linking up at Tidy Mom and these parties.

Filed Under: Christmas, desserts, drinks, Guest Post, recipes Tagged With: chocolate

Introducing Mrs. Smith’s Signature Deep Dish Pies and a Giveaway!

November 30, 2012 20 Comments

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Mrs. Smith’s for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

You can’t have holiday get togethers without dessert! Now with Mrs. Smith’s Signature Deep Dish pies making dessert just got easier, and it is just as delicious!

Mrs. Smith’s Signature Deep Dish pies come in 4 varieties:

-Signature Deep Dish Dutch Apple Pie with Caramel Sauce
-Signature Deep Dish Cherry Pie with Butter Fudge Sauce
-Signature Deep Dish Peach Pie with Cream Cheese Icing
-Signature Deep Dish Pumpkin Pie with Cream Cheese Icing

The pies go straight from your freezer to the oven and bake up in 80 to 100 minutes (plus a 2 hour cooling time before serving). This is such a great time saver! Without having to make or bake crusts or mix ingredients, you can have a dessert that tastes like homemade! And you’ll be ale to spend that valuable time making your other dishes, getting ready for the party, or just having holiday fun!

Beyond their convenience and great homemade taste, these pies are also easily customizable with their yummy toppings. Use the topping that comes with each pie to decorate and add flavor, and also mix and match your pies and toppings!

I recently had the opportunity to try these pies. Today I’m sharing the Pumpkin Pie with you. This pie fills your home with the fresh aroma of cinnamon as it bakes. And the taste is just like homemade! You will love the creamy blend of pumpkin and cinnamon, and to top off this pie, it comes with cream cheese icing! I think you will love the sweetness the icing adds to this classic dessert so much so that you may never want a slice of pumpkin pie without cream cheese icing ever again!

Mrs. Smith’s Pies are available at most Wal-mart Supercenters nationwide. Look online to find retailers near you.

Connect with Mrs. Smith’s Pies on Facebook and Pinterest.

Giveaway! One Simply Sweet Home reader will win a full value coupon for a Mrs. Smith Signature Deep Dish Pie (up to $8.99 value) and a $50 William-Sonoma card.

To enter, please leave comments letting me know which of the four pies you’d most like to try and tell us how you would use this gift card. Then use the Rafflecopter form below. You can also gain extra entries by following Mrs. Smith’s on Facebook and Pinterest.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Filed Under: Christmas, desserts, product review, Thanksgiving

Guest Post: Snow Globe Cake Pops from Karyn of Pint Sized Baker

November 29, 2012 12 Comments

Today we’ve got another guest post for our Six Weeks of Christmas Treats! This one is from Karyn of Pint Sized Baker, and she has some adorable Snow Globe Cake Pops for you. These are too fun! Hope you enjoy!

Hi Everyone, I’m Karyn from the Pint Sized Baker. I’m a wife to Mr. Quart and a mom to my Little Cup. The best part of writing a blog about baking treats, is that they enjoy eating them!

Christmas is a great time for sweet treats and I’m sharing some of my favorites, so pop on over and check out all the fun things I’ve made; like THIS, THIS and THIS!

Every Friday I post a new Cake Pop Tutorial or Cake Pop Kit Review. I really enjoy making cake pops. Once you figure out how to get the right consistency for the cake pop batter and candy melts, making them is totally addicting!

Today, I wanted to share an easy Cake Pop tutorial that I know everyone can make!

These snow globes are very similar to the Gumball Machine Cake Pops I made during the summer.

These cake pops are very easy using some pre-made ingredients.

The base of the snow globe is a bell shaped caramel candy and the snowman is a Wilton cupcake topper.

You can go the extra step and make the base and decorate a centerpiece. It all depends on your time, creativity and willingness to go the extra step.

To make these, you will need to make your cake pop batter with 1/2 of a 9×11 cake and two tablespoons of frosting. Combine them with a paddle attachment until the batter is smooth.

I find that box cake and caned frosting work best. These pops were yellow cake and lemon frosting. YUM!

I took two of my standard pops and made one BIG pop. Make them round and then flatten them slightly. You should get a dozen larger pops from half the cake.

Place them into the fridge while you get the candies ready.

Take the bell candies and pierce them with a skewer. This skewer is smaller than a lollipop stick. Once the hole is made, then slide the lollipop stick through the candy. Because I used a caramel filled bell, I did not add anything to adhere the candy to the stick. It stayed in place just fine. Push the candy down so that an inch of lollipop stick is above it.

Melt your candy low and slow in the microwave being careful not to overheat it. I used 90% white candy melts and 10% blue candy to get this pale blue color.

Dip your stick into the candy melt and then insert it into the cake ball. Allow it to dry upright as you adhere all the cake pops to the sticks.

Dip your cake pop in the candy coating it completely. Attach the snowman and sprinkle on the snow.

Dry upright and then store individually wrapped or in an airtight container.

Cake Pops freeze well, so you can make these now for your holiday gift giving and cookie exchange.

If you need any more tips on how to make cake pops, please come on over and check out my videos and other cake pop tutorials.

Thanks for having me over, Jerri!

I hope you have a wonderful Christmas Season!

Thanks again to Karyn for posting here today!

I’m linking up at Tidy Mom and these parties.

Filed Under: Christmas, cookies and candy, desserts, Guest Post Tagged With: cake pops

Guest Post: Lemon Ginger Biscotti from Tanya at Lemons for Lulu

Febreze Holiday Collection Review with Giveaway

Chocolate Dipped Oreos

Guest Post: Caramel Apple Cider from Melissa at Melissa’s Cuisine

Guest Post: S’mores Bark from Kassi at Truly Lovely

Hershey’s Holiday Candy Review and Giveaway

Guest Post: Hot Chocolate Floats from Keri at Shaken Together

Introducing Mrs. Smith’s Signature Deep Dish Pies and a Giveaway!

Guest Post: Snow Globe Cake Pops from Karyn of Pint Sized Baker

Welcome

My Shop

Pin with Me

Archives

Categories

Welcome

Subscribe to Simply Sweet Home

My Shop

Pin with Me

Archives

Categories